Designing Worlds Returns to Insilico

Designing Worlds hosts Saffia & Elrik take a grand tour of the dark and beautiful city of Insilico.

Linden Endowment for the Arts Announces Land Rush Residency

The Linden Endowment of the Arts is an official Linden Community Partnership program whose purpose is to help new artists, cultivate art in SL, and foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration within the art community.

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) has just announced its Land Rush Residency. This initiative gives artists an opportunity to “claim” 1/8th of a region for a period of 2 months to mount a virtual art installation. Limited spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The first round will be held in two phases on October 30, 2011 at 10:00 am and 4 pm SLT. A total of 16 parcels in two regions will be given away.

For complete information on the Land Rush Residency, please visit the official LEA blog at http://lindenarts.blogspot.com/2011/10/linden-endowment-for-arts-announces-its.html.

Earlier this month, LEA announced that it had negotiated with Linden Labs for the creation of 20 new regions for the arts in Second Life. Of these:

• four regions will be reserved for exhibitions curated from LEA sandbox art,
• two regions will be allocated through the above noted land rush, and
• fourteen will be allocated by application (deadline for submission of applications, which must be completed online, is November 1st)

Exciting things are already afoot on the LEA sims with the first monthly installation of the LEA Full Sim Art Series; Rebeca Bashly’s Inferno, inspired by Dante Aligieri’s Divine Comedy Inferno (slurl). For this series, each artist/group of artists will have a full 15,000 prim SIM for 1 month from the 1st day of the month, till the last day of the month. As such, Rebeca’s installation will be available until October 31st so be sure not to miss it.

This is certainly very exciting times for the arts community in Second Life!

Designing Worlds at Burn2

Saffia Widdershins and Elrik Merlin take a tour around this year's edition of Burn 2 and meet with artists and organizers of this popular annual festival.

Check out my set of Burn 2 images on Flickr.

Metaverse Arts at Burn2

Host Tricia Aferdita returns to a new season of Metaverse Arts with a big visit to this year's Burn2 exhibit in Second Life. Guests include Karima Hoison, MenuBar Memorial, Briawinde Magic and Trill Zapatero.

Photographs featured in this episode of Metaverse Arts can be found in my Burn 2 Set on Flickr.

2nd Annual Boobie-Thon Art Auction Opens Tonight!

October 1, 2011 marks the launch of the 4th Annual Boobie-Thon in Second Life. This annual Second Life event runs in conjunction with the Bloggers Boobie-Thon which is now in it's 11th year.

Second Life's Boobie-Thon is the result of the dedicated work of Eva Bellambi and Serra Anansi who have organized a wide-range of events since introducing this fundraising initiative in Second Life.

Funds raised during the Boobiethon in SL go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure as well as an annually selected charity.

While a serious subject, one of the hallmarks of the Boobie-Thon is to raise money and raise awareness in a fun, educational and irreverant way. Some of the events are downright saucy!

Opening Party, October 1, 2011 at 6:30 pm SLT
Tonight's opening party is at the Cliffs of Skye (6:30 pm SLT), the Second Life home of Eva Bellambi. Please be sure to join us at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magna%20Carta/81/212/37 with music by DJ Frequency Picnic.

Art Auction Opens, October 1, 2011 at 7:30 PM SLT
Tonight marks the opening of the 2nd Annual Boobie-Thon Art Auction. is being held at Rowan Derryth's RoHaus Gallery right next door to Eva's at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magna%20Carta/156/177/29. The auction runs until Thursday, October 6th with final bids at 8:00 pm SLT.

We are very excited about this year's auction which features 40 works by 37 artists! The auction has been organized and curated by Rowan Derryth and myself. I am so very proud of the massive support shown to us by all of the great artists who have donated a mixture of regular, limited edition and unique works for your bidding pleasure.

This auction includes some incredibly unique works, in particular a one-of-a-kind mesh sculpture of the Venus de Medici by Pumpkin Tripsa; whimsical Nipple Trees by Maya Paris; an amazing Bee Queen by claudia222 Jewel; a beautifully crafted image by Callipygian Christensen; and a really fun sculpture by Glyph Graves.

With 37 artists, it is impossible to mention every one of their submissions in this blog post so I encourage you to come and see all of their amazing works for yourself!

The full list of artists includes:

• Alexx Fenstalker
• AutopilotPatty Poppy
• Bobbi Laval
• Callipygian Christensen
• Cat Boccaccio
• Cee Edman
• Chrome Underwood
• Claudia222 Jewel
• Douglas Story
• Elin Egoyan
• Eliza Wierwight
• Floraclayflower Beeswing
• Fuschia Nightfire
• Glyph Graves
• GM Nikolaidis
• Gracie Kendal
• LadyDawn Starbrook
• Maya Paris
• Miso Susanowa
• Misprint Thursday
• Monty Streusel
• Nino Vichan
• PJ Trenton
• Pumpkin Tripsa
• Ragamuffin Kips
• Rowan Derryth
• Sledge Roffo
• soror Nishi
• Starlash Sweetwater
• Stephen Venkman
• T.S. Carson (RL)
• Texanna Schumann
• Tricia Aferdita
• Trill Zapatero
• Wildstar Beaumont
• Winter Nightfire
• Ziki Questi

Starting bids have been set at $1,000L for unique works, $500L for limited edition items and $100L for regular items. First bids are set at $100L less than opening bid prices so that the initial bid will be at the starting bid prices. Auction winners will be advised once bidding is closed and will receive their work(s) upon receipt of funds.

There will be an auction closing event on Thursday, October 6th from 6 - 8 pm SLT with last bids due at 8 pm.

Read even more about the auction at Rowan Derryth's blog I Derryth.

For a complete list of all of the events planned during the 4th Annual Boobie-Thon in Second Life, please visit Eva's blog at http://redroseofcaledon.blogspot.com/2011/09/once-again-we-work-to-save-second-base.html.

Designing Worlds Visits Isle of Wyrms

Hosts Saffia & Elrik get a tour of the legendary place in Second Life where dragons live. Welcome guides Orlith Nightfire, Skylarian Isachenko and Talarus Luan to the show and learn about the rich history and tradition.

For more photos of this fantastical set of sims, please visit my Isle of Wyrms set on Flickr.

You can visit Isle of Wyrms by visiting http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cathedral/125/142/102.

Designing Worlds Visits the 2011 Home and Garden Expo

A tour of the 2011 Home & Garden Expo can only show you a tiny part of the amazing things to see and visit. A major Second Life event all to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life campaign. Your hosts Saffia & Elrik take us on a whirlwind tour and run into a few friends along the way.



More photos of the Expo can be found in my Flickr stream.

Designing Worlds at Fantasy Faire 2011

Elrik and Saffia visit the 2011 edition of Fantasy Faire in support of Relay for Life.

Metaverse Arts Episode 10

Episode 10 of Metaverse Arts on Treet TV sees Tricia interviewing Alexx Fenstalker about her installation Apartment 5B and Trill Zaptero and her Afghanistan Museum. Featured gallery this episode is Artropolis.

Cao Fei Second Life Segment from Art: 21 on PBS

Watch the full episode. See more ART:21.

Prim Perfect Issue 32 On Newstands

The latest issue of Prim Perfect featuring Greater Ireland is now available. Read about this gorgeous region created by Jules Artful and Derric Foggarty with a collection of articles featuring this region.

Learn more about creating an Irish garden, dealing with inventory loss and meet some of Second Life's most interesting designers and content creators in this jam packed issue.

Congratulations to Saffia Widdershins, magazine designer Winona Wiefel and all of the great writers and photographers I am fortunate to have as colleagues.

The fabulous cover photo is by Raven Haalen and one of my favourites!

Get your copy of Prim Perfect in world to take advantage of the links to advertisers and the great gifts. You can also read it online by visiting http://en.calameo.com/read/0000042343fc7f65ffc8e.

Homage: An Exhibit of Works by PJ Trenton

My latest exhibition of works is now up at the Pirats Bourbon Market Gallery and is certainly a departure from my most recent exhibit work. In terms of the types of works I usually create for exhibition in world, this show is definitely a bit of a departure for me. While still abstractions, these works are more creative documents of the the work of artists that inspire me.

Fortunately, over the past number of months, I have spent an increasing amount of time exploring the works of some of Second Life’s most creative and talented artists and builders. While I have always been keenly interested in the Second Life arts community as a participant, supporter and promoter, I have really found joy in exploring and documenting some of the grid’s more immersive installations and builds.

I have always considered myself a digital documentarian and historian, using my virtual lens to capture and record people, places and events from around Second Life and other virtual worlds. My work for Prim Perfect and Primgraph Magazines as well as Designing Worlds and Metaverse Arts on Treet TV certainly allows me the opportunity to do just that. This aspect of my work has become incredibly important to me because, as you’ll note below, several of these works have already disappeared from the grid. This particular show is comprised of images taken of installations and creations by various artists and builders. The works in this show are not for sale, but created to celebrate, promote and encourage the ongoing creativity of digital (and postdigital) art...a community I am proud to be part of.

The artists that I pay homage to in this show include Scottius Polke, Eliza Wierwight, Bryn Oh, Blue Tsuki, Alizarin Goldflake, DB Bailey, Noke Yuitza and the artists from Mysterious Wave (Cherry Manga, Anley Piers and Elfe Imako).

The Pirats Bourbon Market is located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bourbon%20Pirats/186/64/22.

While the works are not for sale, if anyone would like a copy of any the works, I would be pleased to give you one in consideration of a donation to the Pirats Art Network.

To view more of my photographs of some of these artists, I invite you to view the following sets on Flickr:

• Vessel by Blue Tsuki
• The Docks by Scottius Polke
• Aria by Eliza Wierwight
• The Rabbicorn Story by Bryn Oh

Designing Worlds Visits Winterfell!

Take a tour of the dark and mysterious lands of Winterfell with owner Serra Anansi and captain Wildstar Beaumont. Your hosts Saffia Widdershins and Elrik Merlin discover the beauty and dangers of this Second Life region.

Originalia Artists on Metaverse Arts

Tricia interviews Rag Randt, Em Larsson, Scottius Polke and Eliza Wierwight as their installations at Amase Levasseur's newly relaunching sim Originalia.

Prim Perfect Garden Special

Prim Perfect is please to announce the launch of a special publication on gardens and gardening in Second Life. Featuring reprints of garden-related articles from the magazine and additional photographs from various master creators, this special issue is a must read for enthusiasts of plants, flowers and trees!

For more information and to access this publication online, visit the Prim Perfect blog.

A great design by Winona Wiefel...nice work!

Calas Galadhon on Designing Worlds

In the latest episode of Designing Worlds, Saffia and Elrik visit the beautiful region of Calas Galadhon. This area is comprised of 9 gorgeous sims with incredible natural beauty and Victorian goodness. Created by Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith...get thee to Calas Galadhon (slurl.com/secondlife/Calas%20Galadhon/14 2/230/23)



To see more, be sure to visit my Calas Galadhon set on Flickr.

Primgraph #15 on Newstands

The latest issue of Primgraph is now out. Check out this great Valentine's and romance-inspired issue brought to you by some of the most talented writers and photographers.

Find out about some of the most romantic places in the Steamlands and plan future excursions to some really great locations.

Congratulations to Saffia Widdershins and the team...in particular Terry Lightfoot for yet another gorgeous magazine design.

Be sure to check out our special Quest for the Golden Prim lost journal pages written by our very talented actors. I am extremely pleased with their layout and hope you enjoy them as something a bit different between volumes one and two.

You can read the issue online by visiting http://en.calameo.com/read/00000423405a72ca73652. Better still...get a copy in world for special gifts and links to a myriad of advertisers and their products.

Prim Perfect Issue 31 (February 2011) On Newstands

The latest issue of Prim Perfect Magazine is now available. In conjunction with a great article this month from Annechen Lowey on tidying up your inventory, Prim Perfect is giving away – with the inworld Intellibook version – a special texture organizer (don’t worry, it has a ‘help’ button) as well as our own branded (and copiable) box to fill with storage items. And make sure you look out for other gifts and landmarks to our advertisers’ stores!

The Region of the Month is the very lovely Skybeam Estates which I was very fortunate to get to photograph for Jed Dagger's great article. Skybeam Estates is owned Charlene Trudeau who is also the Design Team for Relay for Life.

Congratulations to Saffia, and the team for another great issue. Excellent design and layout by the fabulous Winona Wiefel.

I was privileged to supply the cover photo for this issue.

Be sure to get the inworld copy of the magazine which has the great gifts in it. You can also read it online by visiting http://en.calameo.com/read/000004234f04985adf0ea.

Ekphrasis: PJ Trenton by Rowan Derryth

A short documentary produced by Rowan Derryth based on the Ekphrasis piece she wrote about my work on the Prim Perfect blog.

Ekphrasis: PJ Trenton, by Rowan Derryth from Rowan Derryth on Vimeo.

'Ekphrasis' is a regular column written by Rowan Derryth which appears on the Prim Perfect blog, and profiles art and artists in virtual worlds. This film is an adaptation of 'Ekphrasis:PJ Trenton' which appeared on 4 March 2010.

Thanks to Rowan for all of her hard work in creating this really great documentary about my work in Second Life. While I was so impressed with the original Ekphrasis post working on this documentary and seeing the final results really amazed me...even more so as this is her first SL-based video.

I hope everyone enjoys watching this as much as I did getting to work on it.

Avalon Town Arts Initiative Launch

Floraclayflower Beeswing and Hypatia Pickens to Open the New AVALON ARTS INITIATIVE on Saturday, February 5, 2011 from 4 - 6 pm SLT.

Avalon Arts Community is pleased to announce a new program for budding virtual artists: the Avalon Arts Initiative. The town is sponsoring prime gallery space for new artists to exhibit - free of charge, with the goal of fostering new talent in virtual art. “This exciting project was really Tricia Aferdita’s idea,” said Rowan Derryth, Curator of the Initiative, “but being incredibly busy with managing Avalon Town, producing and hosting Metaverse Arts for Treet TV, and directing two galleries, she brought me on board. I’ve been keen to work on a project with her, and it’s been great fun.”

A call to artists went out last month which laid out the guidelines for participation: “Featured artists need not be new to SL, but should have only started exhibiting in the last 6 months, and must have had no major gallery exhibitions in world. We looked for artists working with virtual media, as opposed to those importing and showing images of physical works.”

The first two artists to be featured are Floraclayflower Beeswing and Hypatia Pickens. Beeswing is an SL photographer who has only just begun showing her work, which involves some wonderfully conceived post-production in Photoshop. Pickens is a seasoned SL educator, and has been involved in numerous arts and education projects. However this is her first time showing her own work in a large gallery, which combines elements of virtual building and machinima.

The Arts Initiative also hopes to promote education across the arts in SL, and will host in world classes as well as sponsored events across the arts spectrum, such as literary readings and performances.

The opening of the first exhibit will be held on Saturday, February 5th from 4 – 6 pm SLT. The event will also include a poetry reading by Pickens at 4.30, as well as the screening of Derryth’s first documentary Ekphrasis: PJ Trenton, an experiment in taking her Ekphrasis articles written for the Prim Perfect blog and turning them into a short film format. “I suppose I can include myself in the ‘budding artist’ category since this is my first machinima,” commented Derryth. “I figured I should be brave and put my work out there for critique!”

Sunday will also see the launch of the education portion of the programme, when the Avalon “Art History with a Twist” lecture series takes residence with a talk by artist Gracie Kendal titled The Art of Transformation in Contemporary Self-Portraits. Through their use of costumes, masks, wigs and make-up, artists such as Cindy Sherman, Lynn Hershmann and Yasumasa Morimura explore the relationship between identity and appearance, illusion and reality. Kendal will explore the way in which contemporary artists present their fictional, or "other selves."

All events will be held in the new Avalon Arts Initiative Building in Tabula Rasa (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tabula%20rasa/87/104/28.)

This is only the start for the Initiative, and applications will be accepted from artists on an ongoing basis. For further information, please contact Rowan Derryth in world.

Thoth Jantzen and Gulliver's Travels on Metaverse Arts

In the latest episode of Metaverse Arts, Tricia interviews Thoth Jantzen about his immersive build on the Veesim grid (http://veesome.com/) and takes us on a tour of the Gulliver's Travel build in Inworldz (http://inworldz.com/) by Ub Yifu and Copan Falta.

Have an Upcoming SL (or related) Art Event?

I am looking for details on upcoming Second Life (or related) art events for mention on the upcoming episode of Metaverse Arts on Treet TV. Please email me at pj.trentonsl@gmail.com for details on your event including date, time, location, participants and a brief description of the event.

For more information about the show, please visit the show site at Treet TV, or the show's blog.

Toast to the Lassies

I was tremendously honoured to be invited by Lady Eva Bellambi to give the Toast to the Lassies at this year's Burns Supper and Ceilidh in Winterfell Anodyne. Lady Bellambi holds this virtual event in honour of Scotland's "National Poet".

Burns Suppers are held all over the world. A chance to gather and share in the life and writing of Robert Burns. For more on Robert Burns, visit www.robertburns.org/.

I am pleased to share with you my toast from last night...

Ladies and Gentlemen it is with great honour that I stand before you today to offer a toast to the lassies on the auspicious occasion of Robert Burns Night. To be asked by our charming hostess, the Lady of Skye, to not only attend this dinner, but to have the opportunity to toast those of the fairer sex is a very special privilege.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lady Eva Bellambi for organizing and hosting this wonderful evening in honour of Robert Burns. Thank you for welcoming us into your beautiful home. Thanks also to Miss Rowan Derryth for her work helping to organize this event and for what I am sure will be a charming and delightful response to my toast.

It is wonderful to see everyone here, and in particular, all of you divine lassies...although around this intriguing virtual world, one always has to wonder if in fact the lassies you see are in fact lassies at all.

Robert Burns. Rabbie Burns. The Ploughman Poet. Robden of Solway Firth. The Bard of Ayrshire. Scotland's favourite son. The Bard. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and perhaps Scotland’s Minister of Population Development.

He of course had a legendary eye and obviously a little more (or perhaps a lot more) for the ladies. With a total of twelve children by four women, one can surmise that if he were in our virtual world today, he would hold a customer rewards card for the local prim baby store. Imagine the talking tummies following in his wake...and whether you would be able to understand a word they uttered in open chat. Certainly not the traditional stuffed stomach...

In our virtual world, I am certainly privileged to know so many talented, professional, educated, intelligent, creative and caring women. Women who make both the virtual AND the physical worlds a much better place.

In honour of these most important women to myself and to all of us, I thought it appropriate to share with you the lyrics of a song written by Robert Burns in honour of a woman particularly dear to him...Agnes McLehose. I give to you, 'Ae Fond Kiss'.

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, and then for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy:
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love for ever.
Had we never lov'd sae kindly,
Had we never lov'd sae blindly,
Never met-or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Please join me in raising your glasses to the women who play such an important role in our lives…to the lassies!

Miss Rowan Derryth came back with a fabulous toast to the lads!

For more about this event in Second Life, visit Eva's blog at http://redroseofcaledon.blogspot.com/2011/01/celebrating-burns-night-on-isle-of-skye.html.

Monet Exhibit Web Site

One of my friends pointed me to this extremely well conceived and interesting web site created in conjunction with an exhibit of works by French Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Claude Monet 1840 - 1926 was on view at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris from September 22, 2010 to January 24, 2011.

This web site is completely interactive and features some of Monet's most famous and beautiful works.

Visit it at http://www.monet2010.com/.

Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionism movement along with his friends Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Fréderic Bazille. The name of the movement is derived from the title of a his work, Impression, Sunrise (1872) for which the critic Louis Leroy coined the term "Impressionism" in a satiric review published in Le Charivari.